Fire Flower
by SumikotheGREAT
Summary: Hanabi is a quiet slave just aching for freedom. In her quest to free herself from the bindings of slavery AND her own reserved personality, she will discover love, hurt, danger, friendship, and the power of the Avatar. SokkaxOC ZukoxOC
1. Chapter 1

Hello :3 I've been writing this fan fic and it starts out a little slow, and in my opinion awkward, but it does get better! Haha!

Chapter 1

Since we were little, I'd been Azula's Chamber Maid, a Lady in Waiting of sorts. Being but two years older than her, I was hardly skilled at my job, and perhaps I spoiled her. I've often been described as a mouse: skittish and eager to please if it keeps me out of trouble. I suppose that's why I'm the only one she's had for more than a few months. She resents authority with a passion unrivaled by the most anarchical of criminals, and I wielded no authority with her, only subservienthood. She viewed me as a pet, and I suppose she developed a soft for me.

I remember my first day as her maid; she was six, I eight. She was in the courtyard, and I was forced to watch, horrified as she flung rocks at turtleducks. Quietly, I entreated her, "Please don't throw rocks at the birdies!" She responded with a sharp, "I'll do as I please!" One of the rocks hit a duckling, knocking it out of the air a few feet from us. I stood over the bird, and instantly knew he was dead. I glanced up at Azula, and for a moment, I thought I saw pity, maybe even remorse in her eyes. Quickly, though, it was replaced with a sneer, and she stomped off to the other side of the yard to continue stoning animals. Grateful for her absence, I sobbed quietly on my knees, digging a make-shift grave to put the broken bird to rest.

I learned my place that day, and it defined the rest of our relationship. When I brought the wrong tea, she threw it at me, told me to clean it up. If I took a step too close to her, she would instantly whip around and drill me about showing the proper respect for a future queen. When she noticed me eying her brother curiously, and later, as I began to mature, more desirously, she taunted me, and reminded me of my low status. "Peasants don't marry royals, Hanabi," she would sneer. Of course, I also saw her moments of weakness. When news of her mother's disappearance reached her, she stared blankly at a wall for a full hour before ordering me to leave the room. When I closed the door behind me, sounds of destruction and agony seeped from her room. I knew she had always been vying for her mother's attention and affection. She felt inadequate, knowing Zuko was the favorite. I knew she felt she had failed, and maybe she blamed herself for her mother's desertion. Upon re-entering, I discovered ripped pillows, curtains torn down, vases broken, and Azula looking cool and collected, as if she hadn't caused-or even noticed- the chaos around her. She slipped past me quietly, more than likely to go take out her rage by torturing Zuko, and I was left to clean up the mess.

It was inevitable that at some point I would run away. I'd spent my life attempting to please Azula, nodding only when appropriate. I wanted to learn to think for myself. I dreamt of the freedom other girls my age had. I had maintained a crush on Zuko for a few months, secretly entertaining thoughts of becoming close to him, and I understood if I left there would be no more seeing him. But after Zuko's banishment, I had nothing and no one to hold me back. I worked out a plan for years after he left, carefully plotting out every detail and when the night of my escape would finally arise, I could not have been luckier, for murmurs of the Avatar's return had the entire palace distracted. I tip-toed out of my room, and past a cluster of guards, all debating whether or not the Avatar was a fairy tale, and made my way toward the gate. The two guards stationed at the door were hunched over each other discussing the appearance of the avatar, puzzling about his age. Apparently, the avatar was 112 with the body of a twelve year old. I held back a snort. Surely this was a rumor spread by the Earth and Water nations to deter the Fire Nation from its goal. Not that I cared if the Fire Nation won the war. I knew from the stories that the Earth Nation people were vile pigs, and the Water Tribes were full of deceivers, as wishy-washy as the liquid they trusted so much. But knowing Azula and her father, who banished my crush, I wasn't sure the Fire Nation was so wonderful either. I was able to slip past them easily enough. I stepped on a stick that broke with a loud crack, and they looked up for a moment before deciding their discussion was too interesting to put on hold. I slowly scaled the wall, which was ridiculously tall. Toward the top, my arms almost gave way, but my body understood that if we fell, it had no chance. It pulled itself up the last few feet, and I sat at the top of the wall panting, praying the Yu Yan Archers would not see me until I was at least able to run. I eyed a vigilant Archer in a watch-tower several yards from me. I had to choke back a sob of fear, realizing that more than likely, he would be the one to kill me.

The chances of my making it alive were slim, and I had known that the whole time planning, but this was the first time it really hit home. I clutched a small knot made of red string meant to give me luck, and said a quick prayer before hopping the edge and scurrying down the wall. It was easier this time, adrenaline stores providing my body with large tides of energy. I dashed for the woods, and became a bit cocky when I made it half-way through the field without the Archer noticing. As if he could sense my expanding ego, the Archer sent an arrow my way, grazing my right shoulder. I gave a small cry as another one pierced my left. I stumbled and fell as third flew right through where my heart would have been had I not tripped. I had mere seconds to pry myself off the ground and fling myself aside before another arrow lodged itself in the ground beside me. I had no idea how I would make it. I managed to dodge another arrow, and another, and almost stepped right into one as he predicted my reactions. I wasn't going to make it. I felt rage well up in me: after all, how dare _anyone_ come between me and my freedom. I surprised myself by plucking an arrow straight from the air, a reflex I contributed to catching all the tea pots I'd had hurled at me throughout the years, and snapped it in half. My boldness caught the archer off guard, and he took a moment to send a flaming arrow into the sky, flair to call for back-up. Panicking, I forced myself to resume my mad dash for the shelter of the woods. Slowly, more arrows began to rain down on me, first a sprinkle, then an all out monsoon. I shouldn't have survived, but the wind turned wild, confusing their aim. Gusts blew the arrows off their course, and several times even sent arrows flying the other way. I rejoiced as the woods drew nearer, and finally I managed to take refuge behind a tree, and wondered if I had simply gotten lucky, or if those winds had been supernatural…..


	2. The Peace Time

Here's chapter 2~

Chapter 2

A kind old woman in a village not far from the woods had offered me sanctuary. She told me her name was Yuba, and both of her sons and her husband had been killed in the war. She dressed my wounds, and hid me when a troop of soldiers came through looking for me. She was good to me, and told me stories. She told me of the time she and her husband met, and her son Fu's first words, and her son Pao's first steps. However, the village was enduring a drought, and before long I realized my presence was putting a strain on her food supplies. I told her of my intentions to leave, and she insisted I take the last of her rice. Selfishly, I agreed, caving to her argument that I was young and still growing, while she was old and likely to die any day now. I left her my lucky knot, hoping it would bring her the same fortune in her crop production that I believed it had in my survival a few nights ago.

As I traveled through the woods, I learned that not all berries are edible. One kind made me puke my guts out, another kind made me squat for hours on end. I began to lean toward nuts, because generally they were not so hard on my digestive system. Although when my hair started to fall out easily, I quickly worked berries and roots back into my diet. Travelling by foot was miserable, but I trudged onward, not sure where I was going. Eventually, I reached another village. This one had no hospitable old ladies, but plenty of suspicious men. They eyed me hungrily as I drifted through, channeling the movements of a shadow in an attempt not to gain too much attention. I was almost through when a tall, muscular man confronted me.

"Hello, there, Doll. We don't get too many ladies around these parts."

"I was just on my way through…" My voice trembled in fear and cracked from years of ill-use. This seemed to spur him on.

He leaned in toward me, boxing me between him and a wall with his arms. "You could always stay the night," he purred.

I pressed my back against the wall, not understanding what he was getting at, but he used this as an opportunity to move closer. "P- please!" I stuttered. "Don't come any closer!"

He ignored my plea and put his nose against my ear, every word tickling my throat, "Come on and stay the night with me."

My chest heaved, and I avoided his gaze for what felt like an eternity before someone broke through the silence. "Quit playing around, Li. She's too young for you."

Li chuckled. I listened for the antagonism in it, but all I heard was a good natured laugh. He looked back at me. "Sorry, hun. Did I scare you? I guess I got carried away again." He studied my face carefully and smiled. "Wish you were closer to my age. That vulnerability is really cute." He did a mock expression of my wide-eyed face, and I had a vague urge to put my hand to his cheek in a slap.

"Li, I think you've done enough damage for now," said the same voice that saved me. It was coming from a rather handsome man, perhaps a bit too burly for my taste, but he definitely had a charming quality to him. Perhaps I was biased because he had saved me from a scary situation. Then he smiled. It was crooked, somehow cocky yet vulnerable at the same time. I felt my stomach drop. He took off his cloak and handed it to me, perhaps mistaking my shivering for a chill. "My name's Han Yu. That was Li Teng. He didn't mean any harm. He's a bit of a dog. He can't resist pretty girls."

I stared at him for a moment. "Am I pretty?"

He laughed and I wondered if that was perhaps an inappropriate question.

"You're cute."

"Not pretty?"

He looked at me for a moment seriously. "Don't go fishing for complements."

I held his gaze, as serious as he was, "What makes 'pretty'?"

Startled, he answered, "You know, I really never thought about it. Full lips, shiny hair, pale skin…"

"So then I'm not pretty" I pondered aloud, thinking of my own dull hair.

He froze, and amended "Maybe those things aren't it."

I wondered if he was hedging from calling me pretty because I wasn't. I never understood the concepts of beauty and ugliness, and had never been told I was either way. I wanted to know, but it looked like he wasn't going to tell me which side of the fence I fell on.

He asked me my name, to which I replied "Hanabi." He asked me if I had a place to stay, and I said no. He asked about money and food, to which my answers were also no. He sighed and said I'd have to stay with him. I had to ride some sort of dragon creature, clinging to his waist as he and the rest of the Fire Nation troops tromped off to the Earth Kingdom. I couldn't help noticing, him being so close, that he smelled very pleasantly of burning incense, smoky and spicy. The constant roll of the dragon's shoulder-blades eventually lulled me to sleep, and when I woke up we were in the air. I shrieked and pulled him to me so fiercely it knocked the breath out of him. He loosened my grip with his arms enough that he could squeeze out an apology.

"I'm sorry. I should have woken you up to tell you we were taking off, but you're just too cute when you're asleep." He gave me that crooked smile, and I knew as long as he gave me that smile, I'd forgive him for anything.

Those weeks I spent with him were beautiful. I fancied myself in love with him, and maybe I was. He was kind and tender, never harsh. He protected me from the advances of the sex-starved young men in his troop, and made sure they treated me with respect. He even brawled with Li Teng, his best friend, one day when Li was a bit drunk and got a little too touchy with me. I often found myself gravitating toward him, leaning just slightly in his direction, wishing he would lean my way as well. But he never did. I think I was a sister to him. After all, I was about sixteen, and he had to have been in his twenties. One day, when we were near Omashu, the troop left for a battle, and Han Yu, Li Teng, and the other men never came back. I remember, as I watched them march away and uttered my blessings, a dead bird fell from the sky, and I knew it was an omen of what would befall my new family.

A/N: I think the little conversation about pretty up there is trying to show Hanabi's insecurity and how naive she is. She thinks there's a set definition of "pretty" and doesn't yet understand that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I might play more with this later.


	3. Hanyuu

Starting to work in the characters. I'm trying to keep her just outside of the main action for now, but at some point I'm going to have to let her play an actual role in the show's plot if she's gonna hang out with the gaang. ;)

Chapter 3

Even knowing in my heart they were all dead, I waited for a long while for them to return. For days, I sat waiting for them to come back from a battle that should only have taken a few hours. Eventually, I resigned myself to reality, taking some food, and some mementos from the possessions of those I was closest to. I took one sword for myself and forced another into the ground, placing a helmet on its handle, as a sort of memorial for my friends. I gathered all my loot and stuck it in a carrying bag. Luckily, there was plenty of money too, gold and silver coins that I hid in the lining of the leather pouch. I hoofed it to Omashu, where I was denied entrance because of my weapon. I almost voiced my opinion of their boorish nation when I thought better of it. I traveled a ways back, and saw an opportunity to sneak in, hiding in a cabbage vendor's cart. The man was telling his suppliers about how his previous batch had fallen—or rather been earth-bended by the gate keepers—off a cliff, and I prayed that this time, he would reach the city without incident.

The guards were cruel at first, but this time, they let him through the doors. When he wasn't looking, I dug myself out from under the mountain of cabbages, a long, tedious process. He'd lost enough of them earlier, and I didn't want to be the one to cost him any more money. I wanted to find out about what exactly happened to the battle, so I listened around at a well, a perfect place for women to gossip. Most of it was of little interest to me, some being about nearby avatar sightings. At last, two girls about my age were speaking in hushed tones, and I picked up that they were talking about a battle.

"Those dirty Fire Nation scoundrels thought they could sneak up on our city of Omashu."

"They hardly sent more than a hundred men. How stupid of them."

"Well, they hardly thought we would expect them. The town they tried to invade barely had sixty soldiers."

"But we met them with ten-fold, didn't we? They were out within minutes!"

The two girls giggled, and I felt murderous for a moment. How could they laugh at the death of my loved ones? My mouth drew in a tight line, and I pounded off, thinking how I'd love for the Fire Nation to crush those two when they defeat Omashu. Soon enough though, that fiery rage was squelched with despair as I realized that the war was what caused Han Yu to die. The war the Earth Kingdom, or Air Temples, or Water Tribes, or maybe even the Fire Nation started. All of them had blood on their hands. I wanted nothing to do with any of them. I marched over to a tailor, and ordered a new garment to be made. I told her I wanted it in all white, the color of snow. The color of mourning.

"I'll need your name, Sweetie. For the order."

"Han-" I stopped myself. _Hanabi._ "Bi" a syllable written with the character for fire. I was no longer a member of the Fire Nation. I wanted to lose that identity.

"Hanyuu." I told her at last. A Variation of Han Yu.

"And your family name?"

"Fu." Fu for blessing. And for Yuba's lost son.

She smiled. "What a pretty name. I'll have it sewn up for you in no time."

I thanked her properly and we exchanged bows before I left to secure a room at an inn. The Inn Keeper was also kind, and provided me with his best room at a huge discount. He must have seen the grief in my face and tried to comfort me with news that the Avatar would end the war very soon. I almost laughed, but disguised it as a cough. The Avatar was a myth. Just like peace.

I took a bath, a proper, warm bath for perhaps the first time since before I was brought to the palace. I'd bathed in dirty, room temperature water many times at the palace and in freezing rivers with the soldiers, but not since I was little had I had the privilege of a warm, cozy tub. The butlers who had prepared my bath had put in the finest bath salts and laced the edges with luxurious soaps, shampoos, and oils, all on the request of the Inn Keeper. Even a few candles and some woody incense burned to create a relaxing atmosphere. I wondered why some people, like the guards and those two girls, were so cruel, and others, like the inn keeper and dress-maker, were so kind.


	4. Blue Spirit

Chapter 4

The next day, I wandered around the city of Omashu, marveling at its brilliance. I watched as the Earthbenders used their skill to send packages all over the huge city, and wondered if they'd let me ride in a package cart instead of walking up the ridiculously steep steps that connected the buildings. Not that I had the guts to ask. I overheard some people talking about some tourists hopping on the mail system yesterday. The cart flew off the track, tore the roof off a store, and knocked over a cabbage vendor's—my cabbage vendor's—cart. I considered how close I was to sharing the fate of the cabbages he lost. I snapped back to the conversation as they said that the group had been arrested and no one had spotted them since yesterday. I decided that was an answer to my question about riding the mail system. I was to pick up my new outfit later in the day, so I mostly just hung out at a tea shop. I looked down at my warm-brown outfit, carefully chosen by Han Yu and the others so that I could pass as a member of both the Fire Nation and the Earth Kingdom. Today I would no longer look the part of either. I couldn't help but smile just a little.

The seamstress had gone out of her way for me. The dress was beautiful, made of silk, lined with satin. She had thrown in a peach sash, also silk, to "bring out the color in your complexion," she said. Since Omashu's climate was chilly, she also provided a gorgeous, "spider silk" she called it, shawl. It was much thicker than the thin dress, and she told me it was harder to rip than steal. That may have been an exaggeration, but it served me well. It could easily be worn as a cloak, as she demonstrated, with a few easy knots and clasps. She had embroidered it with stitches elegantly taking the shapes of flowers, phoenixes, and dragons. To top it all off, she had doused everything with a coating of some magical substance she claimed would make the fabric last through the toughest terrain and wash easily. Of course, the price she charged was astronomical, but I haggled her down to a more reasonable price. I later found out she was Kurida Ayame, a famous designer who used her earthbending skills to instill minerals in the fabric that made all the things she claimed her products could do possible. How she managed to get it all done so quickly is another story, and one she kept closely guarded.

I was walking back to the inn, bundles of clothing in tow, when I witnessed for myself two people riding the mail system. They flew off, and somehow hit the cabbage stand again, as I surmised by the shout that ensued. This one was especially shocking to the people, because one of the passengers had been their own King Bumi.

I left early the next day, not wanting to get too complacent in this city. I wore my dress along with my cloak, and made my way back North. On my way, I first laid eyes on him. I was trekking in the woods, and I saw him collecting something off the ground. I had been fairly solitary for a while now, and I could have used some company, but I was afraid to approach him. What if he doesn't like me? What if he attacks? So I just stood there, studying him a bit more closely than I probably should have from behind. His skin was dark, hair darker, and his frame was sleek, not burlesque like most of the guys I'd seen. I thought that I wanted to see his face. I wondered if his smile was anything like Han Yu's…

Of course it wasn't. No one could replace Han Yu. But when he turned more my direction, so I had a three-quarter view of his face, my heart skipped a few beats. His lips were full, his jaw strong, but still streamline, and his eyes were the most beautiful shade of blue. I thought maybe they would be my new favorite color.

I followed him like a puppy all the way back to his camp site. He announced optimistically their choices between nuts, nuts, and more nuts. I glanced down at my own meager rations, debating if I had enough to share, and then if I had the guts to come out. I was preparing to reveal myself when a loud sound echoed through the forest. I let out a silent groan as they left to check it out. I wanted some friends so badly, and if they were traveling too, perhaps we all could have traveled together. Sullen and bitter with disappointment, I continued on my lonely journey.

Admiral Zhao had seen a warrant out for me. He recognized me when he saw me, and he and his men took me out easily. I tried to use the sword I had taken, but it was no use, considering I hadn't the first clue how to use it. I was knocked out and carried aboard his ship. When I awoke, I had been bound and gagged, but the thing that struck terror into my heart was the cruel man kneeling a table away and drinking tea.

He smiled, his thin lips stretching to nothing. "Hanabi, you made a mistake running away. Your life now rests in the hands of Azula, and I'm sure both you and I know what she'll do."

I struggled to make my gaze meet his, trying to hide the terror I felt inside. I had not previously met this man, but evil radiated from every one of his pores, filling the room with a pungent air. I understood from my encounter with Li Teng that showing vulnerability would not make a man back down, but would encourage him to go further. And this was one conversation I didn't want to go further. He smiled and graciously introduced himself, even while venom dripped from the fangs I imagined he had.

"Of course, it's a shame. I think Azula liked you. Maybe she'll keep you alive." His smile widened even further to show teeth. I could easily imagine those teeth tearing into the flesh of an animal of some sort. I would have bet he liked meat. I let my gaze fall from his eyes, and he instantly sensed my fear. "What's wrong, girl? Did you want to die? I could easily have that taken care of." He drew a small knife and began to creep toward me. I knew he was simply trying to intimidate me, and that he would never kill me himself, but tears welled in my eyes. He jerked my head up by my hair, forcing me to look him in the eye as he put the knife to my throat. I screamed, but it was muffled by the cloth wrapped tightly around my mouth, as were the following sobs. I felt the knife dig into my skin, and with each bit of pressure he added, he looked more accomplished. "I hate that Azula brat. This would be revenge enough." I began to think maybe he _would_ kill me himself. Just then the door opened, and a soldier reported that the avatar had been captured and brought to the building we currently occupied.

"Splended!" Zhao cried. He left the room, and as he stepped into the lighted hallways, I thought I saw blood dripping from his dagger. When the door closed, and I dared to look down, my blood-stained dress confirmed my suspicions. I spent hours trying to wiggle my hands out of the rope that bound them, but all I managed was to chafe my wrists.

….

I woke up to a man in a blue mask hovering over me. I tried to scream, renewing my struggle with the binding ropes, pain searing throughout my body as the fragile scabs that had formed while I was sleeping broke off. He put a finger to his mouth, as if to say "hush!" and drew out one of the swords sheathed on his back. I watched him wide-eyed with terror, hoping he was going to kill me quickly, but all he did was cut the ropes around my wrist. His strong hands brought my arms around to my front, and held them there. He looked me straight in the eye, for a full minute before my breathing calmed. He went around and untied my gag, then came back to make another shushing motion. I nodded to let him know I understood. He finally cut the ropes around my ankles turned away to leave. I began to stand up in order to follow him, but he turned back and made a motion to tell me to stay. He closed the door behind him, and I was left to ponder what his intentions were.

Not much later, the guards all went running past my door. I decided his stop motion had meant to wait until he created a diversion and then leave. I hopped out of the chair and wound my way through corridor after corridor, finally finding an exit. The Yu Yan Archers guarding the fortress all had their arrows pointed in one direction, and I made a dash for an empty wall. I scaled it the way I did my first escape, only this time I was stronger and faster. A few feet from the ground on the other side, I jumped, and winced as pain shot though my ankles, but I carried on toward the woods, this time without getting caught.

* * *

A/N: Ahh, I hate putting OCs in dangerous situations because it's SO hard not to make them Mary Sue like that, and the magical clothing doesn't help much either...


	5. Old Flame

Chapter 5

I was hardly having a nice time, lying low in a village where some quack fortune lady was said to reside, when I again heard rumors of the Avatar. This time that he was in town. I dismissed them as easily as I had the others, and continued resting, waiting for my wrists and neck to heal. It was a nice town with friendly people, but they were a bit peculiar, doing as they were told simply because the fortune teller said it. Most of the things were harmless, like a guy who wore red shoes every day, but some things were a bit ridiculous, like they guy who refused to bathe. I'd been hanging near her door-way, chatting it up with a guy I'd taken to calling Fang, who was a bit scary, but good enough company. He was usually pretty silent, which is probably why we got along so well, because when I say chatting it up, I mean speaking up every so often. I went to go get us some tea, and when I came back he smiled at me. "Hanyuu, some visitors have arrived. Aunt Wu said they would be very important."

"Then it must be so," I consented. I'd kept my doubt of her abilities a secret out of respect.

"I'm getting hungry," he said, and we both went to grab some lunch. We ate quietly, saying little after commenting on the wonderful taste of the food. About half way through the meal, Fang had to go accompany Aunt Wu to the cloud reading ceremony, and I was left to eat by myself with a half-empty place sitting across from me. When I finished my meal, I went to the room I was renting at an inn. I looked at myself carefully in the looking glass. My hair had glossed up some since I'd met Han Yu, and it now fell in waves, instead of the straight, flat mess it used to be. My lips had filled out as well as other parts of my body. I wasn't as pale as I used to be, but I couldn't help thinking Han Yu would have thought I was pretty now… as long my wounds didn't scar too badly. The only thing that remained the same was my wide, childish eyes. They still gazed back at me with a quiet curiosity that could easily turn into fear at any moment. I rouged over my lips, hoping to draw attention from my eyes. They were too expressive, and they told too many secrets. I then put my hair up in a bun, using chop sticks, hair combs, and other ornaments to keep it in place. So much had changed since I left the palace. I now looked almost regal. As regal as a traveler can appear, anyways. My nose high in the air, I walked to the lobby of the inn. Then the first of the Earthquakes hit. Dust fell from the ceiling, and the inn keeper ushered all of his guests outside. I wanted to know what was going on, but the villagers were all walking around like nothing had happened. A while later, a second earthquake hit, and I realized the volcano near the village was spewing smoke. I turned my head toward the sky as overhead the volcanic ash formed itself into a skull. I was stunned, terrified, and unsure of what to do.

"Everyone, listen!" Someone cried out from the middle of a gathering mob. I pushed my way through, and saw the boy from so long ago explaining his plan. "Lava is going to flow downhill to this spot. If we can dig a deep enough trench, we can channel all the lava away from this village to the river."

A young boy in yellow and red that I vaguely remembered as being one of his travel companions entreated all of the earth benders in the group to follow him, while the boy from the woods ordered all the rest to grab a shovel and dig. I hesitated only a moment, wondering if it would really work, or if we should be running as fast as we can to higher grounds, before I too picked up a shovel and joined the rest of the village. We dug for several hours, all of us sweaty and tired, before yet another earthquake threw us off balance. At the order to retreat, all of us scrambled out of the trench. I tried several times before successfully climbing my way out. A final boom slammed me to the ground, and the world turned black, red, and hot. The lava quickly reached the trench, and I scurried the rest of the way to the village. For a moment, I thought there was no way the trench could hold. The lava splashed up and over the trench walls like terrible hands trying to drag us all to Hell. I dropped to my knees, wondering if this was the end. But it wasn't. A flash of yellow and red flew up into the air, and a great gust of wind held back the lava until it had cooled and dried.

A man near me murmured, "The Avatar. We've been saved by the Avatar."

I thought about it for a moment and under my breath said, "The Avatar. Huh."

….

The Avatar had long cleared out of town, and I was packed and ready to go when I saw someone I hadn't seen for quite some time.

"Zuko…" I breathed.

He held some sort of blue necklace up to the nose of a Shirshu, a creature rumored to be able to track down anything, and after dodging its paralyzing tongue, joined a man I recognized as his uncle Iroh, and a strange woman I did not recall ever seeing before on its back. He was there only a moment longer before the Shirshu carried them off again.

I was amazed. He'd changed so much since I'd last seen him. He'd lost all his baby fat and then some. I could tell that under his armor he had some serious muscle. He'd also grown much taller, his head almost bald save for a patch of hair left for him to put in a pony tail. But, the most striking thing was his scar. I hadn't seen him since before he'd been punished, hadn't seen the mark on his eye where his father had burned him. I wished I could have chased after him, but I had no way of knowing where he was going.

I didn't have to wait long to find him, though. I continued north, and I saw him at a sea port. Well, I mean, more like ran into him. He was wearing metal armor, and bumping my head into his breast plate probably did some serious brain damage. I stumbled, and he caught me by the wrists to steady me, looking like he was about to tell me to watch where I was going before stopping to study my scarred wrists and neck. "Where do you live?" He asked me.

"Everywhere. Nowhere. I don't have a home."

He eyed me more intensely. "What's your name, girl?"

I hesitated for a moment, wondering if I should tell him my true name. I decided it wasn't safe to let him know my identity, no matter how rocky his relationship with Azula was. He was still loyal to the fire nation. "Fu Hanyuu. Yours?"

"It doesn't matter." He looked back at the big Fire Nation ship, then back at my scars. "If… if you want, you can travel with me and my uncle. I can imagine it gets lonely, being by yourself. Dangerous too." He said the word dangerous very pointedly.

The curiosity from our childhood flooded back through me, and I thought I would like nothing more than to travel with him—and get to know him. Bowing, I tried to hide the heat flushing to my face. "I am humbled by your offer. I will try not to burden you."

"Get to the ship" He commanded. I bit back a "Yes, Prince Zuko." Had I known his identity before he revealed it to me, I would have aroused his suspicion.

The ship was like every other Fire Nation contraption: dark, metallic, sparse decorum. I sighed heavily, wondering what this kind of atmosphere would do to my mental state. Who designed these things? Was this really the Fire Nation's aesthetic? No wonder they were all so angry. I wondered how a nation of people that loved to shoot bright spouts out of their fists loved the darkness so much. The palace had been so much brighter, friendlier in appearance. Its inhabitants' personalities were not much better than this ship, though. Empty, dark, boring… maybe not quite boring. I passed down the bolted metal corridors, not sure where I was expected to go. Perhaps I was meant to stay on deck until someone arrived to escort me to a room. I groaned, not knowing what to do or where to go when Iroh rounded a corner.

He looked at me, unruffled, and said, "Why, hello there. It has been a long time since I last saw you, Hanabi. You've grown very much. I would not have expected to see you so far from the Fire Nation."

I drew back slightly, not knowing if I could trust him. Iroh had always been a kind man, but like Zuko, I could not be sure that he wouldn't turn me in. I decided if I could plant any doubt in his mind, it might be enough to keep him from turning me in. "You must be mistaken. I'm Fu Hanyuu."

"Oh," he said. "I must have mistaken you for a little friend of mine long ago. It's been so long. Please, come have some tea." The way he said it, he might has well have said, "I know very well who you are, Hanabi. Don't think you can fool a wise man like me." I was rather touched that he was playing along.

He lead me down a hallway, into a little room with a small table for tea. It reminded me so much of when I'd been Zhao's prisoner, I gasped for a moment, my knees locking, spine shivering.

Iroh looked back at me in that knowing way he had, and beckoned for me to sit down. I eased my way across the table from him and knelt down, hands folded in my lap.

"So, what brings you on this ship, little Hanyuu? Surely you weren't trying to stow away?"

"I was offered board by your nephew," I replied, eying him steadily. I didn't need to be careful about concealing what I already knew, and I was thankful I could speak forwardly with him.

Iroh's eyes widened and he let out an incredulous laugh. "He wouldn't remember you would he? You would not have been very close."

I shook my head. "No, I don't think he remembered me. Perhaps it was out of good will."

Iroh smiled fondly, "Yes, my nephew has a good heart. Even if he's afraid to show it sometimes."

I broke eye-contact, feeling I was being rude for staring too long, and studied the room.

"And how did you come to this port, Little Flower?" he asked, drawing on an old nickname some of the older people in the palace would sometimes call me.

I looked at him, begging him with my eyes not to turn me in. "I ran away."

He laughed, a gentle, understanding laugh. "That Azula is a handful. You probably had the toughest job in the palace." I managed a small grin before he continued, "I don't blame you for leaving, Hanabi. The palace can be suffocating."

"I'm Hanyuu, now."

"Right. Hanyuu."

He poured some tea into my small cup, and I took a sip of the most delicious tea I'd had in my entire life. It tasted of the mountain air, and of the morning dew, and of the sun, and of the rain, and of the kind man kneeling across from me, taking his own sip. I marveled at his wonderful tea, hardly able to comprehend how he made it taste so magical.

Iroh spent the next hour or so teaching me to play Pai Sho while Zuko and the crew were all out shopping for supplies. When Zuko returned with the crew, I was no closer to understanding the game than I had been when I'd met Iroh.

"Ah! Nephew! Won't you kindly show miss Hanyuu to her room. I'm sure she's weary of my company by now," Iroh suggested.

"Oh, not at all! It's been such a pleasure spending time with you, Sir."

Iroh laughed kindly and said, "Please. Call me uncle! No doubt I soon will be anyways. By law at least!" He shot Zuko a pointed look, and Zuko turned a deep shade of crimson.

"Uncle!" he groaned.

He put his hand on my back and lead me out of the room and down the hall to a small storage area. "We'll make you a place to sleep here. Meal times are posted on the deck, and if you're late, the men might eat up your share of food. So don't be." He turned around to leave, but quickly looked back and added, "I didn't bring you here because I have intentions of marrying you. Don't let my Uncle lead you into thinking that. I—" he glanced over my scars again and continued, "I have my own reasons for taking you in. Don't cause any trouble or I'll put you back on the streets."

I nodded quietly, and with one last look at my scars, he left me in the storage room, closing the door behind him. I sighed as I sat on a box that read "explosives." I didn't know what he meant by having his own reasons for taking me in. I thought for a moment that perhaps he was turning me in, but he didn't come across as the goody-two-shoes type. If he was going to go through the trouble of bringing me back to the Fire Nation, there had to be something in it for him.

Then I thought about how he kept glancing at my scars. Maybe he thought that because we were both scarred, that we had some kind of connection. Maybe he wanted a friend who he felt could understand his pain. I fell asleep while pondering this, and didn't wake up until after dark. My stomach growled, and I remembered what Zuko had told me about the meal-times being posted. I discovered I was already thirty minutes late, and rushed to find the dining hall. It was in the lower part of the ship, and it felt stuffy, packed with gruff men gnawing on platypusbear rinds. I saw Zuko and Iroh sitting at a solitary table, like an island in a sea of sailors. I wondered if I should sit with them when Zuko stood up and stalked over to me. "I told you not to be late."

I opened my mouth to mutter an apology, but he interrupted me. "I thought you might be. I got an extra plate just in case. You better hurry and eat it before one of these oafs does."

"Thank you!" I cried out in surprise. It had been so thoughtful of him!

Throughout the meal, Iroh provided most of the conversation. He kept prodding Zuko to talk to me, but Zuko was bent on remaining aloof. The food was delicious, if not a bit spicy. I downed five glasses of water before they had to cut me off in order to ration the fresh water long enough to get to the next port, and I had to down the rest of my meal at a turtle's pace.

While they were preparing my storage closet for me to sleep in, I had to sleep in Zuko's room. He wasn't exactly pleased with the arrangement, but Iroh convinced him it was the best thing to do.

"Why can't she sleep somewhere else?" Zuko had argued.

Iroh replied smoothly, "Well, I suppose she could sleep with me, but she's so young and charming, and it's been such a long time since your aunt passed away…"

Zuko glared at him for a moment, then challenged him, "You wouldn't…"

He wouldn't. All three of us knew that, but the very thought of his own dear uncle defiling me made Zuko uncomfortable enough to consent with a, "Gross!"

So Zuko threw me a cover to hide under while he changed, and I hid my face, not even daring to imagine what was going on beyond the blanket. When it was my turn to change, I was delighted to find a cotton nightgown waiting for me on Zuko's bed. Yet another thoughtful action performed by the prince of the Fire Nation. I slipped on the black and red garment and gawked at its silky quality.

"Are you finished?" Zuko asked impatiently.

"Yes. You can look now," I replied.

I took back the blanket from Zuko and curled up in a ball on the cold metal floor. The rivits formed bumps that pressed hard into my bony flesh.

"I'm not letting you sleep on the floor," Zuko sighed. He held out his hand to help me up.

"Where will you sleep?" I asked him, concerned that I was putting him in a position of discomfort.

"I'm not sleeping on the floor either. We'll share the bed."

"What?" I squealed, wide-eyed. "But—but that's improper!"

He eyed me coolly for a moment, and I continued, hoping to build on his notion that he'd never met me. "I don't even know your name!"

"Zuko," he said simply as he sat on the bed. He pat the spot next to him, wanting me to sit down. I hesitated for a moment and walked over cautiously.

"Don't look at me like that. I'm not some kind of pervert. The bed's big enough for two people, and there's no way I'm sleeping on that hard floor. Neither are you. Sit."

I stood there, still hesitating, and he sighed. He stood up and softly took my hand, guiding me to his bed and gently pushing me down. "Don't be afraid, Hanyuu. I want to be your friend." He sat next to me, and we spent the next few minutes looking quietly at our own laps. At last, he said, "Why is the Fire Nation after you, Hanyuu?"

"What?" I asked, startled.

He stared into space, not willing to look me in the eye. "That night. I was looking for the Avatar. I couldn't let Zhao be the one to turn him in. I opened one of the doors while I was trying to find him, and I saw you. I thought about leaving you, but you looked so pathetic. Why did they have you tied up?"

I studied his profile before deciding to tell him the truth. "I know who you are, Prince Zuko. I've known you since we were very little. I was a caretaker for your sister. I—" my voice caught. "I wanted freedom. I ran away. They want me purely to punish me."

He looked at me, his eyes widening. "You-?"

"My true name is Hanabi."

"I've never heard of a Hanabi"

"I kept in the background."

We both stared at the wall for a long time before he spoke up, "That's all?"

I nodded. "Yes, that's all."

He shook his head. "I can't believe I never noticed you."

At a loss of things to say, we sat quietly, rocking with the ship. Finally, I climbed to the far side of the bed and curled up under the covers. "Zuko?" I asked.

"Hmm?"

"You won't turn me in will you?"

He was quiet for a moment, and I held my breath. "No, Hanabi."

I bit my lip and put out, "I'm Hanyuu, now, Zuko."

"Hanyuu, then. I won't turn you in." He blew out the candle we had used to light the room and joined me under the covers, quickly falling into a deep, even-breathed sleep.

* * *

A/N: 3 awww Zuko's being niiiiice? What? She sure had a strange reaction. Not even an "Oh! That was you? WHY THANK YOU FOR SAVING MY LIFE!~" I think she's a little slow... Maybe she'll connect the dots some day... or today if I'm ever unlazy enough to go back and edit it in. For now it's just a cool discrepancy I guess.


	6. Crimson Flow

Chapter 6

I couldn't help noticing how muscular he was. I almost liked it. I almost wanted to put my lips against his broad shoulder-blades, or maybe wrap my arms around him and kiss his neck. I was glad this would be the only night I had to spend in his room, afraid that given more time, almost would become a more solid definitely. I wished my heart would slow down, and for a while I thought I wouldn't be able to sleep at all. I closed my eyes, and counted sheep, finally drifting off somewhere in the 500's. When I woke up the next day, I was alone in the bed, wrapped up in more covers than I really needed. I wondered if I'd hogged them all night. I changed and hurried to the dining hall, hoping that Zuko had yet again saved me a plate. He looked up when I arrived at the table, and greeted me with a "Good morning, Hanyuu." It was rather flat, considering the bonding we'd done the night before, but I returned it with a, "Did you sleep well, Prince Zuko?"

"If I have to call you Hanyuu, you have to drop the Prince out of my name, alright?" he corrected me, "And not really. You had all the covers."

I apologized, inwardly bashing myself for making him angry.

Iroh was chipper as can be, exclaiming, "I hope you slept well, Little Hanyuu! My nephew was just telling me how angelic you look when you're sleeping."

"I was not!" Zuko snapped.

Iroh winked at me conspiratorially, and I managed to put aside my self-loathing enough to break out a small smile.

"Come sit! We saved you a plate." Iroh pushed a plate of scrambled turtleduck eggs and turkeygoose bacon toward me. I sat down, grateful to no longer be standing awkwardly, but Zuko's foul mood had already spoiled my appetite. Still, I didn't want to be impudent, so I forced myself to gnaw on the turkeygoose bacon. Iroh politely waited until I was finished, keeping me company, but Zuko stormed off to his room the moment he was through eating.

"You'll have to excuse my nephew," Iroh sighed. "He has forgotten his manners."

"I think I hogged the covers last night," I bemoaned, looking sullenly at that dull metal flooring.

Iroh's big belly heaved with laughter. "Hanyuu, don't look so guilty. Take this from someone who's been around a while: it's no use getting upset over things that can't be helped."

"But—"

"Do you really think you could have stopped yourself from taking the covers in your sleep?"

After thinking for a moment, I replied, "I guess not." But in my heart, I still blamed myself.

…..

My new "room" was small and cozy. I was pleased to find that the smallness of the enclosure made it appear less Spartan than the rest of the rooms on the ship. They provided me with a futon, which was rather lumpy but better than the floor, a dresser, and some slight decoration. I was pleased to have my own room to hole up in, still burning with mortification from my encounter with Zuko earlier. I occasionally came out of my room to play Pai Sho with Iroh, but most days I only came out for meal times. Meal times were miserable, Zuko and I always avoiding eye contact. It seemed strange over one night of coverlessness for him, and I began to think that maybe I brought out the worst in him.

I hardly realized winter was in full blast when we docked at an Earth Nation port not far from the Northern Water Tribe. I still held to my beliefs that Earth and Water people were horrid, but I'd learned to accept them anyways. Iroh came knocking on the door to my room, telling me I needed to get some fresh air. He wanted me to go shopping with him, and I agreed only when he told me Zuko would be staying in his room. I dressed in my white gown and brought the nifty shawl/cloak (at Iroh's recommendation). I stepped out into the frigid air, shocked to realize I really would need my shawl. We spent a while in the village, and were heading back when we saw a ship—our ship—burst into flames with a loud bang. I dropped the things I was carrying and held back the onset of sobs while Iroh ran for the ship shouting "Zuko! Zuko!"

_He's not dead,_ I thought. _He can't be. There's no way._ I remembered the day Han Yu had died, how when the bird fell from the sky I hadn't tried to warn them. Maybe if I'd trusted my instincts then, and told them to stay—begged them to stay—they would all still be alive. But today I hadn't had any sort of warning. Yet it was still my fault. I buried my head in my hands, rasping out pant after heavy pant and choking back screams. If he'd never been mad at me, he wouldn't have stayed. He would have gladly gone with Iroh and me into the village for supplies. I had done this to him. I'd killed him.

A firm hand set itself on my shoulder, and I looked up to see Zuko: wet, dirty, scratched, but alive.

"Hanyuu," he said, trying to mask the fury in his voice. "It's alright."

I whimpered, afraid his anger was directed toward me.

"Uncle, it was Zhao! I know it was!"

"Zuko, you should calm down."

"But Uncle!"

"I will come up with a plan, but you must control your anger."

Zhao… I hated that man.

…

Iroh's plan did not, could not, involve me. He and Zuko would head up to the Northern Water Tribe, Zuko posing as a soldier, and Iroh himself acting as a general. I would be on my own, and Iroh greatly apologized for that. I smiled and waved it off like it was no big deal.

I had grown lazy aboard the ship, and the idea of traveling around didn't seem as appetizing as it once had. Still, I was in danger being so close to Fire Nation controlled villages. I set out immediately, using the rough winter chill as an excuse to keep my face cloaked. Within a couple of weeks, I was deep within the Earth Kingdom, where I met the Nomads. I decided to stay with them, subscribing to their love and peace idealism. I never truly fit in there, and I couldn't say I wanted to. They weren't always the brightest or most logical people you'd meet. But they were fun, and helped me to relax a little. I became fast friends with another quiet girl named Shura, although usually when she opened her mouth it was to state some sort of cactus juice-induced epiphany. Still, we basked in each other's silence, and that's when she communicated her most intelligent thoughts. Somehow, I heard brilliance in her silence. I couldn't put it into words. I could just hear her brain clicking away, always sliding puzzle piece after puzzle piece into place. Sometimes I wondered how she could stand always thinking like that. I wondered if that's why she enjoyed the brain-numbing buzz of cactus juice so much.

The night the moon turned red, Shura was in one of her rare sober states. Chong, the unofficial leader of the group, belted out a few inspired lyrics, laced with cactus juice induced dullness, and Shura gazed concernedly at the crimson disk.

"Someone has upset the balance," she stated, as if anyone could have figured it out.

I pursed my lips, wondering if that were true.

She ventured off into the woods, muttering some sort of prayer, and did not return that night. We set out looking for her in the morning, thinking she was probably just too intoxicated to walk right. Chong's wife, Lily, split off from the group to cover more ground quickly, and when she returned, her head hung.

"The Earth has reclaimed her." She lilted.

She led us to a small grove, where we found pools of blood, and a corpse being desecrated by scavenger birds. I splashed through her life water, swinging at the birds with a stick. They flew off, carrying chunks of Shura's body away. I fell to her side, taking her in my arms and cradling her, singing her a lullaby. Her throat had been ripped out by the birds, but the knife lying nearby covered with blood suggested her death had been her own doing. When the balance was tipped last night, she had gone into the woods. She had always walked the edge, and balance had been so important to her survival. Lily placed her hand on my shoulder, telling me gently to come away.

My white dress soiled and bloody for the last time, I decided it was time to turn it in. Lily stitched me together a nomad outfit. The first layer was a chang, a white pleated skirt made of thin cotton. The second layer she made an earth tone pink. It was a shenyi, basically a robe to go over the chang. The lapels were held in place by a navy sash with gold embroidery, to which she attached a red braid with a single jade ornament for luck. For aesthetics' sake, she tucked a "short skirt", almost similar to an obi in appearance, into the sash. She also threw in a zhaoshan, or open-fronted coat, for me to wear at any formal occasions. I bowed low to thank her, for she had truly gone out of the way to make something so beautiful.

We traveled on for a few weeks, and at last, stumbled upon the travelers I was so curious about. Chong greeted them, and I found my eyes resting on the boy from the woods that time.

"Nice underwear!" Chong directed the comment toward the object of my interest, and I felt my face flush with heat as I realized he was indeed in nothing but his underwear. I hid my eyes with my voluminous sleeves, and they continued to talk. Finally, Lily told me it was okay to look, and we followed them to their campsite.

"How cute!" Ming Yu exclaimed, looking at a gigantic fluffy bison. She immediately climbed up to his head, braiding flowers into his hair. The boy from the woods didn't come, claiming he had other things to do.

The kid in yellow and orange, supposedly the Avatar, listened to Chong's stories, hanging on every word. Weary from traveling, and still shaken by the loss of Shura, I buried my head in the bison's fur and dozed off.

* * *

Meh. Knew Zuko's kindness couldn't last for long. It's a shame he and Iroh couldn't take her with them. Who knows what hanging with the Avatar and an attractive guy like Sokka will do to her? HOW WILL SHE CHOOSE? XD


	7. Lost and Found

Chapter 7

"Wake up, Hanyuu! We're going on an adveeeentuuuure!"

I opened my eyes to see Ming Yu swaying over me, her pupils dilated. I could tell she'd taken something, and I sat up.

"That stuff can't be good for you."

"What stuff?" She asked, absent minded as a gnat. "Adventure? Oh, I looooove adventures!"

I sighed and stood up, leaving her to talk to herself about all her adventures from the past.

Lily danced toward me, smiling serenely. "Are you ready to get moving? We're going with our new friends to The Cave of Two Lovers."

"What's that?" I asked, not thinking of the consequences. Chong burst into song, and I groaned, thinking it was too soon after waking up to have to deal with this.

"That's enough!" a voice cried, and I turned to see the boy from the woods, looking as annoyed as I felt.

"Whoa, dude. Chill," Chong drawled.

The Avatar looked at me and smiled. "Hi! We haven't been introduced yet! I'm Aang, the grumpy guy is Sokka, and Katara is over there talking to Lily," he gestured a little to the left, where a girl in blue was showing Lily some water bending tricks.

I introduced myself, and before long, we set out. Sokka wasn't exactly pleased about the route his group had decided to take, and he had no reservations about expressing his sentements repeatedly. He was also livid at Chong's constant singing, and I wondered if I should try to calm him down.

"Sokka…."

He looked at me and spat a sharp "What?"

I bit my lip and furrowed my eyebrow, trying not to let his tone of voice get to me.

"You'll learn to tune him out eventually."

"Yeah, well, it better be soon."

I smiled at him, and darted a little ways ahead toward Chong. "Chong, I have a headache. Could you afford me some silence for a little while?" It wasn't exactly a lie; I'd had one since I'd woken up earlier in the day, but I was asking to help Sokka out. I gave him my best puppy eyes with a full on pout.

"No problem, Little Lemur Lover!" he shouted, using a nickname he'd pulled out of a hat one day. I had no interest in lemurs whatsoever, and I can't imagine where he got that idea.

I slowed down in order to let Sokka catch up, and he offered me his gratitude. We continued walking in silence for a ways, Chong occasionally breaking into another bout of Secret Lovers before remembering my request and whispering, "Oh! Sorry."

Finally, Sokka said something. "You know, you don't seem like the rest of them."

"The nomads?"

"Yeah. You're too…"

"Too sane?" I smiled gingerly.

"Yeah."

I looked down at my feet as we continued walking. "Well, I got tired of always being alone. I met up with them, and they were friendly. They offered me a sort of family. How could I resist?"

"You don't belong with them," he asserted.

I laughed the remark off uneasily. "Sokka, you—"

"They'll drag you down to their level."

"Their level?"

"They're not right in the head, Hanyuu."

I thought about Shura, how she had always walked the edge between reality and fantasy, between sanity and suicide. The others weren't like her. They were so happy, so caring; they wouldn't do what she did.

Sokka interrupted my train of thought, adding, "You're a smart girl. I can tell. You can't tell me these people provide stimulating conversation."

Well, no, they didn't, but their mindlessness was entertaining at times.

He sighed, looking me over. "Hanyuu, you don't fit in with these people. They're too out of it to _really_ connect with you. You can come with us if you need to, but if you stay with them, you'll never feel at home."

I sighed, thinking I _was_ still lonely, even though I was surrounded by wonderful people.

I reluctantly agreed. "I'll come with you."

He put his arm around me in a sort of awkward, mobile hug, and we stumbled over a twig together. I put my hands against his chest for balance as he held my wrists to help keep me up, both of us laughing hysterically. I looked up to his face after a few long moments, realizing for the first time how close he was. My breathing quickened and my face flushed violently. Sokka stopped laughing long enough to notice my strange demeanor and asked:

"Are you okay, Hanyuu?"

"Yeah!" I squealed, pushing myself off of him. "Gosh, it's really hot out here! Don't you just love Spring?" I chirped, trying to change the subject.

"Yeah, Spring's nice I guess," he responded, looking perplexed.

"Keep your eyes out for badgermoles! They're indigenous to these parts," I rambled on, hoping to further distract him from the reaction I'd just had to him.

Sokka eased up to the head of the group as the path became more pronounced. I stayed in the back, lost in my own thoughts. I was snapped out of my reverie when I bumped into Sokka, who had once again fallen to the back of the group somehow.

"Owch," I groaned.

We weren't walking much longer before Chong announced our arrival. He told us we needed to trust in love in order to get through the tunnels. I no longer trusted in love, ever since it failed to protect Han Yu, but I did trust that this curse was just a legend. We all marched into the cave, marveling at the great heights of the tunnels. Aang and Katara exchanged meaningful gazes, and I wondered if there was something going on between them. I walked along side Sokka, and as the light from the entrance faded, I began to wonder how we would light the rest of our way. Suddenly, the cave shook with great force, and I clung to poor Sokka's arm for dear life. The light from the entrance was blocked out as the rocks tumbled down, blocking the entrance.

There was no turning back now.

* * *

It's so wonderful getting feed back! Who should win Hanabi's heart? Sokka or Zuko? :3

I can't decide, they're both so haaaawt! XD Maybe it'll be someone else... someone... unexpected... ;) naaahhh, that'd be creepy. Aang's too young for her :P


	8. Secret Tunnel

So, I decided to completely mangle how things happened in the show. It starts off kinda blaaaahhh but then I switch things around a bit ;)

* * *

Chapter 8

Chong had a torch and quickly lit the cavern back up. Appa pawed desperately at the entrance, but it wouldn't budge. He let out a low groan. Katara tried to soothe him while Sokka made a map to help us get through. I couldn't help but smile, thinking how resourceful he was. Unfortunately, he wasn't resourceful enough. The tunnels were moving around, as we soon discovered. A certain chain of events (which the author will omit because you've probably already read this part in a billion other fanfictions, not to mention the show XD) led to the cave collapsing, Sokka, the nomads and I on one side, Katara and Aang on the other. Sokka tried to dig them out but quickly realized it was no use. As the nomads moved onward, he and I retreated into a secluded corner, and I rested my hand on his arm to comfort him. We sat like that for a long time, and before I realized it, he had his arm around me, almost like before, only this was less friendly and more intimate.

"Thank you, Hanyuu. You're like a little miracle. I feel so much better." He smiled at me, a crooked smile—the same one that Han Yu used to wear—and I let my head rest on his shoulder, thinking maybe I would get a second chance at love with this boy. Unfortunately, he stood up, jolting me out of my blissful daydreams.

"Where are you going, Sokka?" I fought the urge to grab his hand and pull him back.

"I'm going to keep digging. There's no way I'm letting my sister and Aang stay alone in this cave!" he said, looking at me.

"I'll help," I said, standing up and walking over to Sokka. We set to work, the digging making us grimy and sweaty, although Sokka's sweat, I'll admit, smelled strangely attractive. At last, Sokka removed a rock that broke through to the other side.

"Guys?" I asked, peeping through the hole.

"Hanyuu, we found a way out!" Aang exclaimed. "We trusted in love and found a way out!"

I wanted to rejoice with him, but there was still work to be done. "Back up, Aang," I ordered, "It's going to get dangerous near the rocks"

"It's going to what?" Sokka gasped in disapproval, but I already had a large stick. I rammed into a weak spot Sokka and I had created, and some large rocks tumbled outward, making room for the rock slide to cave in on itself. I took the torch from sokka, and held it up. A nice, wide opening had formed at the top.

"I was hoping that wouldn't backfire," I stated, pleased with myself for taking charge for the first time.

"You could have brought down the whole cave!" Sokka reprimanded.

I winked at him, feeling truly confident for the first time. "But I didn't." I made my way up the precarious rocks, warning Sokka to only step where I stepped. I imagined myself a climbing expert after the walls I'd scaled in my previous escapades. Sokka and I crawled through the opening, and slid down the other side.

Katara greeted us by stealing the torch from Sokka. "Put it out," she ordered, then seemed to realized Sokka was no longer in a position to do that and stomped it out herself. Sokka and I gawked when, after a moment, the rocks on the ceiling of the cave began to glow a soft green.

"We think that shows the way out," she informed us.

"We might as well try it," Sokka consented.

I nodded slowly, thinking more about how romantic this cave would have been for the two lovers than our escape. Maybe they sat here, talking about nothing and everything, as this green light washed over them, promising them a way out of the madness of the cave _and_ the war. It was soothing, like a celestial being, a goddess of love, promising a romance of the likes never seen by human eyes, and standing here next to Sokka, I could understand how they might have been willing to give up allegiance to their families and friends for each other.

I snapped back to attention as they began to move along further into the cave.

"What about the nomads?" Aang was asking.

I replied without hesitation, "No doubt they're already out of the cave. They don't trust anything _but_ love." Well, and mind-altering substances, but that was irrelevant at the present.

We moved forward quietly, Aang and Katara leading the way, Sokka and I trailing behind. My stomach tied itself into a new knot every time his hand would brush against mine. I kept glancing up at his face, trying to see if he was having the same sensations as I was, but he seemed largely unruffled, and I sighed with a mix of relief and frustration. If he felt the way I did, I knew it had the ability to complicate Aang's journey.

At points during our trek, I would close my eyes as I continued forward, trying to draw on the energy of the spirits of the two lovers, searching for answers as to how close we were to the end. I had never had a particular sensitivity to spirits, and needless to say, my silent queries were met with more silence.

"Aang, are you sure this is the way out?" Sokka groaned.

"No, but we have to try. It's a tunnel through a mountain; you can't exactly expect it to be short."

A sharp rock dug into the arch of my foot through my wolf-skin slippers. "OW!" I bit my tongue, wincing as more pain ensued.

Katara turned to look back at me "Are you okay?"

I nodded back at her, fighting back the biting tearing though my leg.

"Let's sit down for a moment," Sokka suggested. He took a step toward the side of the walls.

"Sounds good," Katara agreed. I wondered if she was weary from all the walking we had been doing throughout the day, because she sounded thoroughly relieved. Aang sent a draft through the tunnel by using the wind to push himself into the wall of the cave and sit down. The breeze wasn't completely unpleasant, but the air was cool enough as it was.

I closed my eyes and moaned silently, collapsing against the moldy wall. _This part of the cave must be near an underground body of water,_ I thought, feeling water begin to seep through my garments. I opened my eyes, head lolling to the side peering the way we had just came, and felt a chill run through my spine as a shadow darted from one side of the cave to another.

"Hello?" I called. The air in the direction of the shadow seemed to pulsate with silence, as if something was trying to answer, but didn't have the power.

Sokka peered past me, squinting into the darkness. "Did you see one of the nomads?"

I shook my head. "It was too dark to make out."

"It was probably another wolfbat. Don't call attention to us. We don't have a way to light the torches on fire this time." He motioned to the damp floor.

I nodded, not wanting to carry on the conversation, but it had been distinctly human.

Aang looked the direction, tensing as if he too saw something. Still, he sided with Sokka, "Yeah. Probably just a wolfbat. Don't worry."

Still, I glued my eyes in the direction, feeling as though the darkness was edging toward us, clawing its way through the jagged walls of the cave. Before I had time to react, a black mass formed in front of me. I tried to scream, to get Sokka or Katara's attention, or Aang to take action instead of sitting there watching me like this sort of thing happened all the time, but I felt too weak to open my mouth. The weaker I felt, the lighter the dark mass became, until I could make out a ghostly pale woman. She appeared gentle enough, and I was too tired to truly fight, so I sat resignedly as she knelt by my feet, her faded red robe splaying out around her. Through the veil of dark hair curtaining her face, she hummed an unearthly version of "Four Seasons", one of Iroh's favorite songs, and her hand seemed to slip through my slipper as if she were one of the nomads' hallucinations. I knew she was touching me, because an unpleasant chill ran throughout my whole body, originating from the arch of my injured foot. It mingled with the pain at first, making it worse, but slowly, the pain numbed, and everything dimmed. I thought I was dying, that she was killing me. Sokka, Katara, and Aang all became blurs, and the only reality was that woman and I, and then, she too lost focus, and the darkness clawed its way over the rest of the cave, enveloping me in its acrid chill.

* * *

Well, obviously she's not dead, because she's telling the story... unless she's telling it from the spirit world? Maybe she's a ghost for the rest of the story? Oho!

But I wonder if you already know who the woman is...

AAAND I edited it because I wanted to add some detail to the woman's appearance :3


	9. The Extra

This one's a long one! Hang tight! :3

* * *

Chapter 9

I woke up outside the cave, Chong bent over me, scrutinizing my face. He smiled, noticing I was conscious, and shouted. "Well, hey! The Lemur Lover woke up!"

I groaned, attempting to muster enough energy to cover my ears and shield my aching head from the assault of his loud voice.

Aang made his way toward me with delicate steps. "Are you feeling better?" His voice was low, but it still seared my aching head. Sokka slipped on my shoe gingerly, explaining that he'd had to wash it because I'd apparently stepped in something bloody. I told him I thought maybe my foot had been bleeding, and he smiled, saying my foot was injury-free. He'd already checked. Aang smiled reassuringly, but I definitely sensed he knew something he wasn't telling anyone.

I managed to roll over onto my side in fetal position. The shift in balance stirred up a stronger tide of pain. I whimpered and closed my eyes, thinking it was way too bright out. Sokka picked me up, and put me on Appa's back, explaining that we needed to get moving so that the firenation didn't catch us. Katara climbed on top Appa too, force-feeding me water. After emptying the water bladder several times, Katara refilling it each time with moisture from the air, I managed to sit up, my head ache considerably reduced.

"What's going on?" I mumbled, noting Katara's stricken face. I followed her gaze to a city that looked like the skeletal remains of a once thriving Omashu. Smoke stacks towered into the sky, and steel support systems clung to the walls, like vultures preparing to carry off a lion's carcus. "Where's Omashu?" I questioned, my mind still foggy. "I thought we were going to Omashu."

I squinted, the sun setting behind the city creating a reddish haze. The whole city looked like it was on fire.

"I can't believe this," Sokka growled from the back of his throat, only to have his words drowned out by Aang shouting, "Bumi!" He rushed off, the wind aiding his speed, Katara and Sokka following him, and, stumbling behind them all, me.

I'm not entirely sure how they got into the city. I figured I'd have to get in on my own. I marched up to the front gates, wrapped up in a blanket, and put on my most pathetic performance.

I braced myself for the performance of my life, and what came out was an extremely rehearsed, "Sirs, I'm extremely ill, and would like to take refuge in your city." I coughed once or twice for effect and shot the guards the most pitiful look I could muster. They glanced at eachother, and crossed their spears, letting me know they weren't going to let me in.

"We've already got one case of pentapox walking around. The last thing we need is another contagious illness."

"Oh, it's hardly con—"

"No means no, little girl." They pointed their spears toward me, and I backed away, well aware that I was unarmed. I turned away, thinking I would likely have to wait for the next shift of guards. In the mean time, I'd hang with Appa and brainstorm a new story that could gain me access. Appa was hiding just out of sight, and I sat a ways from him, unsure if he liked me enough to let me pet him.

"Well, bud," I sighed, "I don't know where our friends are."

He grunted, and rested his head just within arms' length.

I hesitated, reaching my arm out. "You want me to pet you?"

He stretched his neck even farther, and I buried my hand in his thick, wooly fur. I imagined what it would feel like if a mouse ever tried to pet me, and wondered how on Earth he enjoyed this.

"Do you think I could pass as a traveling dancer? Fire Nation soldiers are perverts. They might let me in." I remembered my first encounter with Li, a sting of nostalgia beginning to eat its way through the fragile skin I had grown.

Appa snorted in disapproval.

"You're right. I don't want that kind of attention anyways." I pushed myself right up next to the bison, burying myself in his fur for heat as the dregs of daytime warmth dissipated.

Suddenly a thought seized me. "Appa, do you think if they knew I was from the Fire Nation, they would hate me?"

His eyes flicked lazily in my direction, and I was met with silence.

"I like them, Appa. I don't know them that well, but I can tell they're good people. I'm scared if I say or do something wrong, they'll turn on me. Or even if they just found out about my past."

He grunted once more and gave my cheek a gentle lick with his gigantic tongue. I nuzzled into one of his six arms, eventually lying down to rest. I remember thinking, in the before-sleep haze, how strange it was that Appa was more like a father than anyone I'd ever known.

…..

When I woke up, the sun was already in a late-afternoon position. I jumped up and started to head toward Omashu, inwardly scolding myself for falling asleep before I came up with a plan. Midstride, I felt something tug on my garment, holding me back. I looked behind me to see Appa's big, white teeth clamped onto my shenyi. He pulled on it, gently for him, but still powerful enough to bring me to the ground. He blew air out his nose in a huff, the current kicking up sand and dirt.

"What am I supposed to do then, Appa? Just stand here and wait?"

He looked at me steadily, as if willing me to stay.

I groaned. "I can't just stay here. They could be in trouble."

He tilted his head incredulously, reminding me I was in no position to save them from any danger.

"I still can't stay here while their lives are on the line." I started to walk away, but Appa stopped me with a low, dangerous sounding growl. I gazed at him, only half mad at his stubbornness. "You really want me to stay, don't you?" I collapsed on a nearby rock and arched my back to pop it, keenly aware of how unladylike I was acting. But I was in the middle of nowhere with nothing but a giant buffalo around, so I didn't think it mattered that much if I acted a little coarse.

I slipped off into some reverie, only to snap out of it when I heard voices begin to bounce of the rocks around me. At first they were far off, but I realized they were getting closer. I scrambled up the tall rock that separated me and Appa from Omashu. A large croud of people poured out the front gates of the city, and I watched as some of the ones toward the front turned onto the path that would lead straight to the hiding place Appa and I were sharing.

I mulled over our options before reaching out to Appa. "Do you think those are Fire Nation soldiers? Should we stay here and hope they leave us alone?"

Appa didn't answer in his usual way, but stood up and shuffled in the direction of the crowd. I climbed up Appa's back and into the basket from behind, not wanting to slow him down if he decided to take off. The front of the group came into sight, and I breathed a sigh of relief as I saw a short figure robed in yellow and orange bounding toward us.

He stopped a ways away, looking up at me for a moment, then smiled.

"Sorry we kind of left you behind there, Hanyuu!" he called up.

I slid down from Appa's basket, landing with a thud on the ground. "It's no problem." I noticed the pock marks on his face, and on the faces of those coming up behind him. "Pentapox?" I asked, amused.

"Yeah." He grinned goofily. "You've heard of 'em?"

"You gave the guards at the entrance quite a scare. I tried to guilt trip them into letting me in." I smiled sheepishly, feeling stupid for being shy with a guy still a couple inches shorter than me. Being shy with kids is always the worst.

Katara walked up to us, cooing as she held up a baby. I was drawn toward the child, his cherubic face smiling around at everyone.

"He's so cute!" Aang exclaimed, taking the baby from Katara's arms and cradling him. "Who's is he?"

Katara sighed. "I don't know. No one is claiming him. The resistance leader said he was an extra."

I pursed my lips and furrowed my eyebrows. "What does it mean? Is he Fire Nation?"

Aang looked disappointed. "I guess so."

The child cooed, reaching for Aang's face and opening and closing his hands like he wanted something.

"There's no way he's Fire Nation," Katara said firmly.

I took him from Aang and nuzzled him. "Whether or not he is, he hasn't done anything to harm us. His nationality shouldn't matter." I was speaking for myself, as well as the child. I hoped they would see the sense in the statement, and forgive me for my background when the time came.

Sokka walked up from behind me, giving me a bit of a start when he said, "He hasn't harmed us _yet_. When he gets older, he'll be off killing innocent people like the rest of them."

The man I took to be a leader of the so called "resistance" was next to him. "That's right. He won't be so cute then."

I clung tightly to the child, fearing for his life as well as mine. "Not all Fire Nation people are bad. You can't know he'll hurt someone."

All four of them looked at me with such pity, _I_ almost felt sorry for myself.

"Don't get attached," said the leader of the resistance. "We'll likely have to kill him."

Katara, Aang, and I all took a step back, horrified.

"You can't do that!" cried Aang.

Sokka took a step forward, his head hanging low. "We may have to. He could grow up to be a menace."

"Sokka!" I gasped, feeling something inside me break. "How could you say that?"

"The Fire Nation would do the same thing!" he spat in return. "If they found a Water Tribe baby, do you think they'd let him live? No, they'd kill him on the spot!"

I thought back, to my soldier friends. They wouldn't have been capable of killing a child. I couldn't even imagine it. "The Fire Nation is just an abstract concept! It's made up of individuals! The Fire Nation does nothing! It cannot murder and never has!" I paused for a moment to catch my breath and calm my voice. "It's not up to you to determine this child's destiny. Not all people in the Fire Nation are bad. Most are kind, hard workers. The soldiers fight because it's their duty. They get no pleasure out of killing people; it tortures their consciences." I faltered, realizing for the first time that the soldiers were always drunk for the same reason Shura was always high. I took a deep breath, continuing, my voice shaking with the weight of this epiphany. "They want the war to be over as much as you do."

Sokka looked at me steadily, his answer ready. "If they want it to be over so badly, why don't they stand up to the Fire Lord and not fight. He can't kill all of them."

The group got quiet, all of us staring uneasily at our feet. The baby squirmed restlessly in my arms, filling the empty air with gurgles and coos. "I won't let you hurt him," I said weakly.

Just then, a messenger hawk swooped in, leaving a note in Aang's hand.

* * *

I'd like to get something off my chest. Just get it out there in the open. I know you readers really don't care but, I have to say it somehow.

I love the color of your skin, like a blend of nuts and peaches and sunshine. I love every goose-bump on your neck; I've memorized each one. I love that look you give me that says you want me, even just a little, and makes me feel like I might have a chance. I love the way I can say yes and no to you. I can let you kiss me, but I'll never let you go too far. I love the way how when I cried, you took my thumb and stroked it with yours, letting me lean on your shoulders. I love the way you smell, how even when you're a little ripe, you smell like home. I love the scars on your back, and I can never understand why you feel ashamed of them. I love your nose, even if I'm afraid to say anything because you're self-conscious about its size. I loved it before your surgery, and I love it after. I love the awkward way you slap sunscreen on my back with one finger, like it might be too sensual to use your whole hand, even if it would go faster that way. I love your sense of humor; I've always admired how clever you are. But, I hate the way you tease me. When you hold me so close, just to see how my breath always quickens. When I'm trying to behave, and you keep drifting closer and closer. I hate how without thinking, I'll have my hand on your chest, and how embarrassed I am when you take it off. I hate how you'll absentmindedly put your hand on mine, then jerk it off the moment you realize its there. I hate how you won't talk to me anymore because I couldn't hide how I feel. I hate that you call your girlfriend every night. I hate how what you have for me is just physical when I love you so much.

I already feel better :3

Reviews are appreciated!


	10. Spirit Guide

Chapter 10

The atmosphere still morbid, Katara spoke up drearily. "What's it say, Aang?"

"They want to make a trade: King Bumi for their son." He looked at the bundle of joy in my arms and smiled. "That must be this little guy."

I listened as Aang and Sokka fought out whether or not it was a trap. At last, they agreed to go. We all hopped on Appa, and flew toward the great city of Omashu. I refused to let go of the child until the last moment possible, still afraid Sokka might try something, so I joined Aang in walking to the meeting spot. There were no specific instructions in the letter as to how the exchange would be made. We waited for a good amount of time before a metal cage high in the air slowly began lower, held up by a single chain. Aang's eyes lit with joy as the face of the King of Omashu came into view. He was certainly not your typical king. His hair stuck out of his head in a mess, his nose crooked, not aristocratic like you would expect in someone of high status, and his eyes were mismatched looking, giving him a strong appearance of insanity.

He snorted out a laugh. "Aang, how good to see you!" His voice had a nasaly quality, matching with the rest of his features in its atypicalness.

I was so distracted by my ponderings about his peculiarities that I didn't notice Azula until she spoke.

"A king for a baby? That's hardly a fair trade. Don't' you agree, Mai?"

I hadn't heard that voice for months, and hearing it now, after finally being lulled into a sense of security, my hairs stood straight on end. I looked turned my head to the direction of her voice, a sneer plastered on her pretty face. Ty Lee, one of her childhood friends, shifted almost imperceptibly from foot to foot, as if she'd rather be elsewhere. I'd always liked Ty Lee the best, but she was a bit of a push over, like me. My eyes rested on Mai, who's face had grown sharp and angular. The rigid lines of her face were intensified by her rounded, yet just as geometric, hairstyle. She eyed her brother, then King Bumi, then her brother once more. She looked uncomfortable at first, before her mouth set in resolve.

"You know, Azula, I think you're right," was all she said before out of her sleeves shot two daggars with deadly aim. Aang took off the ground, avoiding his arrow using his staff, and when Azula saw his arrow tattoo, she immediately went after him, realizing he was the Avatar. Aang had just enough time to cut the chain on the big metal cage and ride it down the mail system. I clung tightly to the child as I dodged. My reflexes were faster, now that I was so used to walking, but she was closer than the Yu Yan Archers had been, and the daggar grazed my shoulder.

How could she put her brother in danger like that? It _was _her brother, wasn't it? The way she had been the one to make the decision to strike, not Azula, made me think the child in my arms was TomTom. Azula had cheerfully announced the news of Mai's baby brother one day while I had been brushing her hair.

"Of course, now her parents need her to assist with the baby, so she won't have as much time for me, but I always wanted a little brother," she sighed wistfully. "When he's older and Mai is in my court, we can share." I continued running the comb through her hair in silence, unwilling to point out that she already had a brother and she hated him, so what good would having another brother do?

Another dagger came flying at me, and I wouldn't have had time to dodge it, but for Katara creating an ice barrier that caught the dagger mid-flight. She then allowed the ice to melt back into water, dropping the dagger to the ground and hurling the element back to Mai at breakneck speed. Mai dodged it easily, and they performed the same dance a few times more before Ty Lee cart-wheeled over. She pressed one or two of Katara's pressure points, blocking the chi flow. Katara tried to lift the water off the ground with great effort, but it mearly began to rise, then dropped like a dead fish.

Mai sent us a mocking smile before she took my appearance in. She grimaced and shouted loudly. "Well, if it isn't dear old Hanabi! You've been missed at the Palace."

I cringed at the sound of my old name coming from her mouth.

Katara sent a scowl her way. "You must be mistaken. Her name is Hanyuu. She's a nomad."

Mai detested me, I knew. She had always had a crush on Zuko, and thought of me as competition. Her mouth twitched, as if it wanted to smile, but the muscles were too underused to pull her lips up. "Of course. Hanyuu, then. Tell me, _Hanyuu_, how did you manage to escape that time with the Avatar? I've heard whispers his escape was your doing. You should know the Fire Nation doesn't take kindly to traitors."

My mouth fell open in horror. I stammered, not knowing how much to say and how much to conceal. I wondered if she was acting on a hunch, or if she really knew. If I lied, and they found out, my punishment would be even worse than what I would already have to endure.

Ty Lee's eyes widened in recognition. "Hanabi, it _is_ you! I didn't recognize you!" She leaned forward, as if to come hug me, but then thought better of it when Mai sent a death glare in her direction.

I was about to comment on how nonsensical it was that a pleasant argument over my history had just popped up in the middle of an epic battle, but before I had the chance, Mai raised her arm to strike. Katara flinched, taken off-guard, but Sokka flew in on Appa at just the right moment to throw his boomerang and knock Mai off balance. He hopped off Appa, and Appa flew off to survey the battle until he was needed. Sokka assumed an offensive stance, his boomerang at the ready. He and Mai stared each other down. I wondered how looking at each other menacingly would accomplish anything, but my musings were interrupted, as they so often are, by the action resuming.

Mai shouted for Ty Lee to take care of him, claiming she didn't have the time to deal with him. I had been unfortunate enough to have ventured near a wall, which, if you know Mai, is very dangerous. She shot a round of her knives in my direction, pinning me perfectly by my clothing to the structure behind me. I grimaced as Katara dodged one round of knives after another, trying to make her way toward me. I shook my head, trying to tell her she should leave me. Aang and Sokka ran toward her, pulling her away and toward the edge of the building, where Appa was racing to meet them. Aang and Katara both sent me apologies with their eyes, though Sokka was too focused on driving Appa—or maybe he just didn't care enough—to notice.

Azula hadn't noticed me yet, for which I was grateful. She was exchanging words with her little group for a moment before Ty Lee pointed in my direction and she turned to sneer.

"Well!" she shouted from across the knife-littered battlefield. "If it isn't my dear, sweet Hanabi!" I felt even the knives shivered from the sharp edge to her voice. She stepped closer, one foot in front of the other, hips swinging exaggeratedly, like a cat on the prowl. "It's so good to see you, old friend! None of the other maids were half so diligent as you. You could have written a letter or something. I missed you dearly." By now, she was so close I felt her hot breathe singe my skin. She raised up one claw-like fingernail to my throat and dug it in hard, although I'm sure to anyone else it would have looked like a gesture of affection. "Tell me, Hana-chan. Where were those travelers you were with going?"

I gulped. "Here. To Omashu."

She turned sharply away from me, taking slow sure steps as she spoke. "After here, imbecile."

"I don't know. They didn't tell me."

I saw her shoulders tense and with another sharp pivot she sent a burst of flame that died out only inches from me and Tomtom's faces. "You're lying!"

I was silent for a moment, trying to rack my brain for any indication that they had told me where they were headed after this. I couldn't think of any. "I'm not."

She turned around, showing the briefest flash of genuine surprise before masking it with a guarded look of incredulity. "You expect me to believe you were traveling with total strangers and had no idea where they were going to take you."

_Well, if you put it like that… _"Yes," I sighed.

She looked at me with pity in her cold eyes. "Oh, my dear, sweet Hanabi. You're so naïve. That little boy you were you were with? He was the Avatar. He wants to bring down the Fire Nation and kill every one of us, just for being born in the wrong country. He wants those Water and Earth barbarians to bring chaos to the entire planet! Do you hear me, Hanabi? He's trying to destroy the world! He was using you for his own evil means!"

"He's twelve," I reminded her, wondering if she really believed what she was saying.

"He's a hundred twelve years old! What kind of dark magic do you think he would have had to use to stay so young and innocent looking?"

I gazed at her, wondering if I could really trust her. Aang, Katara, and Sokka had seemed nice, and I wasn't sure what kind of ability I could have offered them, other than my keen sense of wit, but I doubted that could be used for evil purposes.

Azula sighed, "Do you know how you came to the castle?"

I shook my head. "I was young. I wouldn't remember. How do you?"

"Father explained it to me when I was old enough to understand. He said one of the monks at the temple of the sun made a prophesy about you. Well, not so much a prophesy. Your spirit guide is the Wind Spirit. She has blessed you." She looked at me uncomfortably. "Your first born will be blessed with airbending."

"That's bad?" I queried.

"In itself, no." She fidgeted. "The Wind Spirit is an evil spirit. She blows entire villages down and can drive hay through a solid wall. She is vengeful over the annihilation of her worshippers a hundred years ago. No doubt any child bearing part of her spirit will be the end of the Fire Nation. We couldn't kill you. That might evoke her anger even more. So, we brought you to the palace. The guards were ordered not to speak to you. Zuko was forbidden from acknowledging your existence. You were to remain chaste, safe and hidden away in the palace." Her voice took on a hard edge. "Don't think that little airbender didn't know she was watching over you. He wants to avenge his people as surely as the Wind Spirit does. Don't think he or one of his friends wouldn't have taken advantage of you the moment the fully understood the kind of blessing the Wind Spirit has given you!"

She took Tomtom from me and unpinned me from the wall. "You're coming with us." She commanded as she marched off, Mai and Ty Lee trailing after her.

* * *

MUAHAHAHAHA! PLOT TWIST!


	11. Sisters

Chapter 11

After we spoke with Mai's parents, who were more than happy to let her daughter go on an important mission with the future queen of the Fire Nation, and returned Tomtom, Azula insisted I squeeze on the guan jiao with her. The men carrying it only seemed a little miffed that she had just doubled their workload, although I knew, having been a servant myself, they would later gripe about it with the other servants. Azula attempted to milk some information out of me about my travels, and I gave her clipped answers, censoring the deaths, my night with Zuko, and other things that might anger or otherwise captivate Azula. She grew bored eventually and began attempting to pry for details surrounding Mai's life. Mai's answer s were angsty, short, and dull. I supposed she'd already found out everything she cared to know about Ty Lee's life, who's commentary was no doubt full of rainbows and butterflies, even if through anyone else's eyes it would have been as dreary as Mai made her life seem. Azula then proceeded to give us our mission instructions:

"Well, I suppose you're wondering why I've gathered you."

"Kinda," Mai said sarcastically.

Ty Lee nearly jumped up with excitement. "I know! We're going to capture Prince Zuko, right? I bet Mai's SUPER excited to see him again."

Mai smiled a little and blushed, though she tried to hide it by turning her head.

"Yes, but we have a new target now. The Avatar." Azula noticed Mai's smile diminish, and added, "Of course, we'll still be looking for Zuko, too."

Ty Lee bounced in the air ecstatically, and they started quoting inside jokes they'd made at school. Having never been afforded a chance to attend school, I did not get any of the jokes. I would very much have liked to doze off, but on the one side of me, Azula sat primly, exchanging random phrases with her friends, and on the other side, a low armrest was the only thing between me and an embarrassing, and possibly dangerous, crash to the ground. I tried to sleep leaning my head back, but it was uncomfortable and my neck began to ache. I settled for bending all the way over and resting my head on my knees. I never got to sleep, or if I did, it wasn't deep enough for me to have noticed, but I did manage to give myself a huge backache and a craving for a nice, deep massage. Azula shook me.

"Ah Hana-chan! We're here!"

I sat up, stretching my back, and she slapped my shoulder, reprimanding me.

"Have you forgotten your manners while you were gone from the Palace?"

"Oh," I said dully. "Sorry."

"Here" was a small ship, though not much smaller than Zuko's. The Fire Nation flag towered gallantly over it, welcoming us.

"It's a bit cozy, but it's the fastest in the Fire Nation. You'll also find it has been furnished with all the fine amenities from home," she announced. I enjoyed how her every word seemed like a sigh.

She took us on the ship, and to where the crew was supping, located in the same place as it had been on Zuko's ship. "Good evening, men! I hope your dinner's going well?" She didn't have to shout over them, because they had focused in on her in record time. "I'd like to introduce your two new masters. Mai, Hanabi, please step forward."

Mai and I both approached the edge of the balcony that overlooked the men and their meals.

"Mai is the pleasant girl in the black, and," she put an arm around me, "Hanabi is my new sister. I expect you to treat them with the same kindness and respect that you have shown me." She seemed to be finished, but silence still hung in the air. "Well," she snapped, "Carry on!"

The men rushed to obey, some clumsily dropping their silverware in their haste.

Mai glowered at Azula. "So, that brat's your new sister, huh?"

_I'm right here, you know._

Azula rolled her eyes exaggeratedly. "Really, Mai, you _must_ get over that petty jealousy of yours. Zuko has no idea who she is, and even if he did, you could do far better than my cowardly brother."

Mai crossed her arms and turned back to watch the men eat. I looked over the balcony, catching one of the soldiers staring at me with his mouth hanging open. Azula noticed this too.

"You there! Eat!" She stormed.

She turned her back to them and muttered almost inaudibly. "… bunch of low lives… …how am I supposed to put up with this… …should have them all hanged," was all I caught.

"Ty Lee, show Mai to her room."

"But I don't kno—" Ty Lee began before she was interrupted with Azula's shouting.

"Just do it!"

I flinched away, reminded of just how scary Azula could get when she was angry. She put her and on my back and lead me out after them, waiting for their footsteps to fade into soft echoes on the familiar, metallic walls.

"Hanabi, I don't want you acknowledging those men. Not one encouraging glance, not one gentle word, do you hear me?"

I nodded slowly, knowing this had everything to do with our conversation earlier in the day.

"You are to stay with me, Ty Lee, or Mai at all times. We will be sharing a room."

"What about the bathroom?" I asked. I didn't want anyone in the room when I did my business.

She sighed. "Fine, you can be alone when you use the bathroom."

"And when I change?"

"I'll turn my back."

"Bathe?"

She growled. "Whatever! Is there anything else you'd want privacy for?"

"Nope, that sounds good."

"You've grown insolent while you were out with those barbarians," she observed. "You would never have spoken to me that way before.

"Well, since we're sisters and all now…" I teased.

"While my father _has_ decided to adopt you into the family, you have no royal blood and no right to the throne. You are still inferior."

I gawked at her. So we really _were_ sisters now? This news sent a glow coursing through my body. I understood for the first time that I held something over the Fire Nation's heads. Lord Ozai had figured if he adopted me into his family so that everyone treated me like a royal, I wouldn't have a reason to run away again. If I didn't run away again, I could be carefully monitored to make sure I did not engage in any offspring-producing activities. I was the only thing more of a threat to the Fire Nation than the Avatar.

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~~ Bonus! ~~

* * *

Someone requested a description of Hanabyuu (XD That shall be my new nickname for her), so here it is in Hatori, the soldier Hanabyuu (XD) caught looking at her like a creeper's point of view! (I hope you guys are happy with this because I spent hours on research for hairstyles and Chinese ideas for beauty, etc.) I'll post a link to the google images for the hairstyle on my profile, since I doubt most people know the term for it.

* * *

When Hanabi stepped forward, my mouth dropped. Azula was still talking, but it became a distant buzz in the background, for my senses were overwhelmed taking her in. Her skin was pale, translucent, a red flush peeping out attractively through her cheeks. Her eyes were large, doe eyes. They looked almost frightened, yet had a tranquil quality about them, as if they were waiting for something horrible to happen, but enjoying every second that it didn't. I noted they were slightly upturned at the edges, which was partly what gave her eyes that large appearance.. She had iridescent, black hair so fine that made me think of delicate silk instead of the velvet hair most girls had. It was up in a very nicely done, but simple Yunjiwuhan. Her body, though covered with layers upon layers, retained a flowerlike hourglass shape. Her lips were also a classical cherry shape, slightly parted in the way that full lips tend to do. By far, her eyebrows drew me in the most. They were like two new moons, just in the beginning stages of becoming crescent moons. And then—she looked at me. Her eyes seemed to hold the entire night's sky.

I imagine I hadn't realized I was staring, for Azula barked at me "You there! Eat!" and I was forced to look away and continue my meal.

* * *

Ohohoh, derrraaammmaaaahhh


	12. Hatori

Chapter 12

The room Azula and I were sharing was probably the largest, most elaborate one on the ship. A large red and gold carpet splayed happily out on the floor, and golden ornaments hung from the walls and ceilings, rather like raindrops, or the still glowing ashes of a fire lighting up into the night sky. Our beds were oval-shaped, protected by translucent gauze curtains, though I supposed they were more for decoration than to keep bugs out. I didn't imagine the middle of the ocean was exactly a haven for mosquitoes. Only one red and gold vanity sat against the wall adjacent to the door, with a single round stool. Resting on the vanity was a glossy wooden box plated with mother-of-pearl phoenixes and herons. Azula caught me eying it.

"You can have it if you like. You know I never wear those things." "Those things" being hair ornaments.

I grimaced at the thought of using someone else's hair ornaments. It'd be like wearing their underwear.

"I've never used them." She affirmed. "They're clean. They were given to me by a bunch of buffoons seeking my affection."

Azula would have had to have met the men who gifted her with these in private. It would have been scandalous for the men to gift them to her publicly. I wondered why she would have ventured to meet them if she really thought they were buffoons, but I didn't say anything.

"There are some Balsam petals and alum in one of the drawers if you want to dye your nails, although the petals aren't very fresh, so you may have to add a drop of water or two to get any color. I don't know how that stuff works." She sighed and sat on her bed, crossing one leg over the other.

I sat down at the vanity and rooted through the hair ornaments in the box. Some were tangled up in one another, and I almost felt bad for the "buffoons" who gave her these. Obviously, they had spared no expense, choosing ones with the deepest jade, purest turquoise, and clearest rubies. I sighed and picked a buyao to wear. I'd always liked them, and had felt mildly insulted that Azula, who'd always had the ranking to wear them, never wore much more than her simple fire-shaped crown around her bun. She had always had a much simpler taste than I.

I glanced into the mirror and saw her expression marked with a sort of intense curiosity, as if she had never thought it possible someone could have an interest in such girly things as hairpins. I sent her a slight smile through the mirror, and she instantly frowned. I had to purse my lips to keep from laughing as I attempted to untangle her long unattended hairpins.

The boy had been staring at me oddly that day hadn't quite gotten Azula's hint. His name was Hatori, and I often caught him risking a glance at me during mealtimes or in the hallways. Unfailingly, when I returned his gaze, he responded with a drop of the head and a fervent blush. One day, I asked Ty Lee what was wrong with him.

"He likes you!" she squeaked, as if she'd known all along and was relieved to finally tell me. She told me more about his history than I really cared to know, like that he'd stopped wetting his bed at the age of seven and that his mother was a dancer before she met his father. I interrupted her before she could tell me what color his poo was.

"So, he stares at me because he likes me?"

She nodded fervently. "You two would be such a great couple! I can get you two alone together. Just don't tell Azula. No one's true love should be hindered by rules!"

I was about to decline her offer until I realized I could use a friend. Ty Lee was trying, but the constant battle between her loyalty to Azula and her open, friendly nature was wearing on her, I could tell. Perhaps this soldier could give both me and Ty Lee the solace we deserved. She came back with him, poor Hatori looking a bit manhandled, and shoved him in.

We both stared timidly at the ground. After a long silence, he forced a small "hi".

"Hi," I replied.

I saw him reach up to scratch the back of his head nervously. "So, you're Hanabi, right?"

I made a small sound of assention.

He took an uncomfortable step backwards to the door and remained silent. I wondered if he thought I didn't want him here. I took a deep breath as inconspicuously as I could and looked at him, faking confidence.

"You're Hatori. Your father was a great Fire Nation general. He did a great service to his country." Ty Lee had volunteered all this.

I saw pride wash over his face. "Yeah, my old man was…" he took a moment, trying to come up with an adequate word, "great. I hope I can be just like him"

I felt a warmth for him spread in my chest. He was already growing on me. "You're on your way."

He smiled and blushed. "I practice with my sword for hours every day. I'm the best swordsman in the Fire Nation." He stopped himself. "Not that I'm trying to brag. I just—"

I giggled, and he looked at me sheepishly.

"You _should_ be bragging. It's quite an accomplishment."

He looked relieved, flustered, and serene all at once. He took a step toward me.

"I could show you," he said with a strange sort of ethereal quality in his voice. "Do you want to see?"

"Yes, very much."

He unsheathed his sword and began one of the forms. In his hands, the sword seemed almost like liquid metal. It sliced through the air, the hollow noise of its speed accompanied by the snap of his sleeves as his body darted to and fro. His breath was controlled and came out in short little bursts with every strike. At last he threw the final strike and sheathed his sword all in one swift movement. I clapped for him, thoroughly impressed.

"I wish I could do that!" I marveled aloud.

He looked at me, catching his breath. "Would you like to?"

I threw him a huge smile, knowing full-well my answer. I was finally going to learn to fight for myself.

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Ohoh, you thought I abandoned you, eh? Nope! I was spending my days with my two Chinese friends before they had to go D:

I hope this chapter is good quality, although it might take me a little while to get back in full swing!


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